The summaries are free for public
use. The Chronic Liver Disease
Foundation will continue to add and
archive summaries of articles deemed
relevant to CLDF by the Board of
Trustees and its Advisors.
Abstract Details
Non-alcoholic Liver Disease and Childhood Obesity
Arch Dis Child. 2020 May 14;archdischild-2019-318063.doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2019-318063. Online ahead of print.
Meera Shaunak1, Christopher D Byrne23, Nikki Davis12, Paul Afolabi23, Saul N Faust234, Justin Huw Davies52
Author information
1Department of Paediatric Endocrinology, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK.
2Faculty of Medicine and Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
3NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK.
4NIHR Southampton Clinical Research Facility, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK.
5Department of Paediatric Endocrinology, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK justin.davies@uhs.nhs.uk.
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in children and adolescents has an estimated prevalence of 36.1% in the context of obesity. This figure is anticipated to increase in conjunction with the global obesity epidemic. Worryingly, NAFLD in childhood persisting into adulthood is likely to be harmful, contributing to significant hepatic and extrahepatic morbidities. Early disease detection is required, although the optimum timing, frequency and mode of screening remains undetermined. While the efficacy of several medications, antioxidants, fatty acid supplements and probiotics has been investigated in children, healthy eating and physical activity remain the only prevention and treatment strategies for paediatric NAFLD. This short review discusses the epidemiology, diagnosis, pathogenesis and management of NAFLD in childhood obesity.